State Farm spokesman Stephen Curry dropped fellow State Farm spokesperson Chris Paul with a behind-the-back dribble along the baseline. It doesn't warrant an MVP award, but cherish it because the only time you normally see Paul on the floor is after he flops. The Minnesota Timberwolves (77) made more three-pointers in March than Curry (75). Yes, a team made two more threes than a single player, which says more about Curry than it does the Wolves. Some might say, 'WOLVES NOT FAR.'

And remember, April 1st is officially March 32nd at Greendale Community College.

HOSPITAL WARD

C.J. Miles left the game due to injury. It wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last time. The list of ailments from this season alone includes a calf, shoulder, foot, knee, groin and upper respiratory infection. Four more played games will give him a season-high over the past four years of 66. Miles was limited to six minutes Tuesday after spraining his right ankle. C.J. Watson emerged last week during Rodney Stuckey's wrist injury, and he filled in admirably against his former team, the Nets, with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals, one block, and two three-pointers in 38 minutes, most off the bench and third highest for the Pacers. Stuckey was held to 25 minutes and 1-of-8 shooting while he tries to play through a sore right wrist. Damjan Rudez started the last two times Miles didn't play, but the healthy Watson is the one to stream if Miles is ruled out the rest of the week. The Pacers play three more times before next Monday, starting tonight in Boston.

Spencer Dinwiddie sprained his ankle early in the second quarter and didn't return. Reggie Jackson was battling an illness, forcing coach Stan Van Gundy to use John Lucas III for the first time in nine games. Lucas responded with 15 points (11 in the fourth), three assists, two steals, one rebound, and one block in 22 minutes. His playing time will suffer tonight if Jackson fully recovers. Otherwise, Lucas could be in for another 20+ evening with Dinwiddie's status up in the air. He was a shot in the arm for one night. Expect him to be on the Hornets' scouting report tonight, and expect the Hornets to put up a better fight than the listless Hawks.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Dennis Schroder (toe)
  • Mike Scott (toe)
• Detroit
  • Greg Monroe (knee)
• Golden State
  • Draymond Green (shin)
• Indiana
  • Paul George (leg)
• Los Angeles
  • Jamal Crawford (calf)
• Miami
  • Udonis Haslem (flu)
  • Shabazz Napier (hip)
  • Luol Deng (knee)

ROTATION NOTES

Coach Lionel Hollins does not believe in minute limitations. He said so himself. Thus, Thaddeus Young played 39 minutes in his return to the starting lineup after sitting out the previous two games due to a strained left knee. He shot 4-of-11, missing all five shots outside the paint, grabbed seven rebounds and chipped in four assists. Suffice it to say, Mason Plumlee played 12 minutes and committed five fouls.

The Pacers fell behind 33-15 after the first quarter. Their reserves and Solomon Hill won the second quarter 39-24. Coach Frank Vogel stuck with the reserves almost the entire period, altering typical rotation management. Below is a table of the minute's distribution post-All-Star break. It helps explain why the Pacers lead the NBA in bench points per game at 41.0.

[caption id="attachment_6208" align="aligncenter" width="165"] Via NBA.com[/caption]

Coach Mike Budenholzer played nine guys 24 minutes each, employing wholesale substitutions so the starters didn't play with the reserves. The Hawks don't play again until Saturday, their only game the rest of the week. It's not a guarantee coach Budenholzer plays his starters, potentially giving them a whole week off. Although, he hasn't given all of his starters the same game off; he typically rests three the first night of a back-to-back and then the other two the next night. Since the Hawks play a back-to-back set early next week, and they have three rest days, I think all the starters play this weekend, especially if Dennis Schroder (toe) is unavailable. That doesn't mean you must hold onto them waiting to find out. If you can add someone who'll give you three games, say Zaza Pachulia or Aaron Brooks, don't cling to Al Horford or Jeff Teague. Target players on teams playing for something.

Reggie Jackson was limited to four-minute stints over the final three quarters due to an illness. He still finished with 12 points, 11 assists, four rebounds, and two three-pointers in 22 minutes. The Pistons play tonight and remain four and half games back of the final playoff spot with eight games left. They've gone 6-2 without Greg Monroe (knee). Last time I believe I mentioned Jackson's low steal rate. I'll continue to remind you of such things heading into the offseason. While triple-doubles are the bee's knees, that's only three categories. Jackson isn't even an average shooter, a moniker he's trying to shed by hitting 14 of his last 30 three-point attempts. It's a combination of his on-ball defense and coach Van Gundy's scheme that contribute to Jackson's low steal numbers. He has 11 steals in 19 games since joining the Pistons, one more than Dion Waiters over that stretch. A top-flight fantasy guard should average over a steal per game, especially if he can't shoot.

The Miami Heat fielded 10 healthy bodies, welcoming Hassan Whiteside from a three-game hiatus for 23 minutes off the bench as he plays with stitches in his shooting hand. Chris Andersen, after missing the last two games, started at center and covered another 24 minutes. That means, at some point, Michael Beasley was tasked with center duties for at least a minute. James Ennis replaced Luol Deng (knee) as the starting small forward, forcing Henry Walker to cover Tim Duncan for prolonged stretches. It wasn't a fair fight and none of the replacements performed unusually well; a trend that could carry over to Thursday's game against the Cavaliers.

Draymond Green (shin) was given the night off. That leaves Harrison Barnes as the only Warrior to participate in every game this season. Coach Steve Kerr doesn't want to just rest players for the sake of resting them. If they're genuinely nicked up, expect them not to play. Green could also sit Thursday against the Suns in preparation for the weekends back-to-back against the Mavericks and Spurs. David Lee started at power forward, accumulating 17 points, seven rebounds, and one assist in 30 minutes. He shouldn't have much problem against Markieff Morris if Green doesn't play Thursday.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Blake Griffin, last year's second runner-up in MVP voting, didn't have to contend with Draymond Green (shin). Prior to last night, Griffin was 8-of-24 when he shared the court with Green this season. In steps David Lee, and Griffin goes off for 40 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and one steal in 44 minutes. It's the first time and only time since December 29th that Griffin blocked three shots in a game this year. It's just not his forte. However, he has nine blocks since his return, spanning nine games. Some things are better left unexplained.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Roy Hibbert blocked three shots in 20 minutes and converted 3-of-11 from the field. He's good for a block a game, but Hibbert hasn't played more than 27 minutes in any of the last four games. Earlier this month, Coach Frank Vogel announced his intention to suppress Hibbert's playing time to help fend off a possible reoccurrence of last season's second half swoon. As long as Ian Mahinmi and Luis Scola are healthy, Hibbert will continue to hover around his season mark of 25.6 minutes per game.

Brook Lopez continued his torrid rampage over the Eastern Conference, supplying his third double-double in the last for games with 24 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 40 minutes. He's shooting 60 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free-throw line over the past two weeks. You know, adequate enough for second overall value in 9-category leagues during that time.

Joel Anthony blocked four shots. Over the past seven games, Anthony blocked 22 shots, more than anyone else in the league. The Pistons play three more games this week. Greg Monroe (knee) plans to return for the final five games. Monroe's timeline does not overlap with the rest of this week. If you want to remain competitive in blocks this week, Joel Anthony is your man.

Andre Drummond posted his 42 double-double, third most in the league. He contributed 22 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, one block, and one assist in 32 minutes. In eight games without Monroe, Drummond is averaging 18.5 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 33.6 minutes per game. Prior to the injury but after Josh Smith's release, Drummond's scoring, rebounds, steals, blocks, and minutes were lower.

Thabo Sefolosha scored a team- and season-high 19 points in a team-high 14 attempts. He's an interesting option, but with the Hawks playing one more game this week, you shouldn't roll those dice until next week's four-game slate.

Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade shot a combined 12-of-34 for 34 points. They also converged for six rebounds, four assists, seven turnovers, zero steals, and zero blocks. I know the Heat are battling to stay in the playoff picture, but I believe Wade sits one of the back-to-back games this weekend. He rested each of the last two back-to-back sets, and he took a hard fall during last night's game. Just be prepared for the inevitable if you own him.

Mario Chalmers hit a shot from beyond half court to end the first half and give him 10 points. He ended the game with 10 points.

Tim Duncan recorded his first double-double since March 12th, registering 12 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, one assist, and one steal in 24 minutes. Those that own him know he's played 45 consecutive games. Even more absurd, in my opinion, Duncan blocked the second most shots in March, tied with Rudy Gobert and one more than Nerlens Noel, two youngsters who played an additional 135 minutes last month. The Spurs pulled to within half a game of the Clippers for the five seed and two games behind the three seeded Rockets last night. They can clinch a playoff berth tonight in Orlando. I think he's at risk of being rested tonight or Friday if they win against the Magic on the second night of a back-to-back. It's not a far-out theory, just a hunch.

Kawhi Leonard nabbed another four steals to maintain his league-best average of 2.3 per game. Cory Joseph duplicated Leonard's feat with his own four-steal game, matching his career-high. Danny Green had one of those games that make you want to drop him, providing three points on 1-of-3 shooting to go along with one assist in 15 minutes. Then you remember he's the only player averaging at least one steal, one block, and two three-pointers per game for the season.

J.J. Redick connected on all five free-throws, extending his figure to 40 consecutive makes, longest active streak in the NBA. Matt Barnes added a steal, a block, and two three-pointers. Since the All-Star break, he's averaging 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 2.5 three-pointers per game while shooting 41 percent from distance. DeAndre Jordan shot a season-low 20 percent (1-of-5) from the field and hit 50 percent (3-of-6) of his free-throws. It's the seventh time all season he shot better from the line than the field.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 52 points on 16-of-36 shooting. They were clutch from the line and downtown, but Thompson brought down the group average by missing a ton of jumpers. Harrison Barnes didn't play last night. I take that back. I meant to say it appeared as though Harrison Barnes didn't play. He finished the night with 1 point on 0-of-7 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in 24 minutes. Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston each shot 0-of-3 from the floor, but considering the Clippers' bench is so rotten, the Warriors won anyway.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Blake Griffin, F, LAC: 40 points
2. George Hill, G, IND: 28 points
3. Stephen Curry, G, LAC: 27 points
4. Chris Paul, G, GSW: 27 points

Rebounds

1. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 15 rebounds
2. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 13 rebounds
3. Mike Muscala, C, ATL: 13 rebounds

Assists

1. Reggie Jackson, G, DET: 11 assists
2. Chris Paul, G, LAC: 9 assists
3. Deron Williams, G, BKN: 8 assists

Steals

1. Kawhi Leonard, F, SAS: 4 steals
2. Cory Joseph, G, SAS: 4 steals
3. Tyler Johnson, G, MIA: 3 steals

Blocks

1. Joel Anthony, C, DET: 4 blocks
2. Tim Duncan, F, SAS: 3 blocks
3. Roy Hibbert, C, IND: 3 blocks
4. Blake Griffin, F, LAC: 3 blocks
5. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. George Hill, G, IND: 4-8 3Pt
2. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 4-6 3Pt
3. Six players tied with three three-pointers

Minutes

1. Blake Griffin, F, LAC: 43 minutes
2. J.J. Redick, G, LAC: 41 minutes
3. Brook Lopez, C, BKN: 40 minutes
4. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 40 minutes
5. Anthony Tolliver, F, DET: 40 minutes